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Galaxy S3: Apple Better Wake Up!

kdarling said:
That's why so many people have switched over to Google for mail, contacts, calendar, etc.

It's been great over the years to be able to pick up any kind of device, WebOS, Windows Phone, iOS, Android... just enter my id and bam! everything is sync'd up and stays sync'd between devices.
Click to expand...
Yup. Own multiple businesses, employee's all have various phones from iPhones to Android, to BB etc. Just so much easier having all backed up and sync'd with Google vs dealing with itunes/cloud for only the iphones since that would just be a pain in the ass and extra unnecessary steps vs having one slick system (Googles setup) handle all devices, especially with how Google can be tweaked for specifics.

Even when I was only using iPhones I still stuck with Google b/c it was just easier to sync and not deal with iTunes for various things, except for music where Apple has you by the balls there lol.
 
There are some great programs for the Mac that make calendar input much easier than opining iCal directly. Fantastical is one such program.

If I could keep using my iCal on my Mac as I normally do, yet have iCal somehow sync with Google Calendar, that would be tremendous.

As for my email, I already received an offer in this thread for IMAP setup assistance (which I may take advantage of). So, essentially all my email can still be kept in check.

Contacts? Would love to be able to enter a contact on my Mac and have it sync to the Galaxy.

As long as I can be assured that there is syncing across the board, I would feel much easier about switching to the Galaxy 3.

Even as I sit here at work typing his, I have two co-workers who just bought the GS3 and love it.
 
I actually ordered an S3 sim free when it came out cos I was enticed by all it's 'goodies' but I kept it for one weekend and returned it.

There are a LOT of pro's to having the device, and the colour saturation is simply outstanding - the screen has the same 'wow' factor as when I first turned on the new iPad.

However, it's clumsy and there are so many niggling things I hate about it - the S Voice is crap and only functions whilst the phone is unlocked and not through headphones which is just ridiculous!

The new iPhone has to be special cos I'm really not bothered about upgrading early (like I did for the S last year).
 
alent1234 said:
is this jelly bean or ICS?

too bad my droid pro is on 2.3 and will never get ICS. and even then 2.3 is most of the installed base

and even then my iphone 4S was doing this last year when the source code for ICS had just been released
Click to expand...

Your Droid Pro is a 2 year old phone with dated specs. It's also just for a niche market, those who want a blackberry type android experience. Surely you don't think it's capable of running jelly Bean or ice cream sandwich.

The iphone 4s didn't even come out till a year later and notifications wasn't even an option for iOS when the droid pro was released. Be happy that you even have 2.3 on such an antiquated device.
 
Sensamic said:
Apparently JB 4.1 is coming next week. Today another leak.
Click to expand...

And then the 6 month wait for US carriers to screw it all up before "allowing" us to receive the update. I really wish AT&T, Verizon, etc would not be allowed to touch the OS and Samsung could do a worldwide OTA near simultaneously.
 
I've already given my S3 a jellybean look with Nova launcher. Hopefully Samsung doesn't mess up the official update or delay it for months on end.
 
I must say, even though I prefer the HTC One X, I give credit to Samsung for kicking off the WAKE UP revolution for iPhone users.
 
NJRonbo said:
Shame...

Taking into account what we *think* we know what the iPhone 5 will look and run like, I still can't come to a decision whether to switch over to the Galaxy 3.

The biggest hindrance is integration. I need all my mail, contacts and calendars to sync flawlessly.

I also have a lot of App Store apps I would be giving up.
Click to expand...

Hi NJ,

After using iPhones for years and owning EVERY version that has gone on the market I made the switch to the SIII and am VERY happy that I did. I had some initial concerns about porting all my data over but those were quickly addressed during setup at home, I was able to transfer my contacts, emails, docs, music and ebooks without any trouble.

My only loss were my iOS apps and some of my Apple DRM protected eBooks, but seeing as I only really used about a dozen of my apps regularly and the rest sat in folders gathering dust it wasn't much of a loss. Losing part of my iBooks library was much more painful and expensive but it taught me a valuable lesson. Now I purchase and download ePub books to my computer, organize and tag them in Calibre and then upload to SIII with none of that DRM rights crap restricting their use on my computer or phone.

1) Much larger screen: Makes a big difference for me, I was tired of trying to zoom into every area of a web page or only being able to fit a paragraph or two on the page when using iBooks (I have over 800 ePub books in my library). The SIII screen is awesome, when combined with full fledged browsers like Firefox, Chrome or Dolphin websurfing is a pleasure now and videos are actually watchable now on a smartphone with so much real estate to work with. I am a big guy (6'4") and have huge hands so the larger SIII actually fits much better in my hand and the weight is distributed better than the smaller, thicker iPhone 4S.

2) Swiftkey 3 Keyboard App for Android Ice Cream Sandwich: If you have to type up LOTS of emails on your smartphone then Swiftkey's predictive typing and keyboard options is hands down better than the iPhone. I have multiple IMAP email accounts and Swiftkey combined with Androids built-in Email app makes it a breeze and a truly enjoyable experience now to return client emails on the go.

3) Email: The built in Email app on the SIII is a big step up from the iPhone, I run multiple IMAP accounts using my own domain name and it handles all of them with no problem, and the ability to add attachments, download MS Office docs into Quick Office edit them and then re-attach and send with no fuss is GREAT, also the ability to attach files from any folder on my 64GB storage card is awesome.

4) Processor power and RAM: Even using the AT&T's SIII version I notice a HUGE difference in how fast windows refresh, apps work and tasks are handled. It really is pretty awesome to have 2GB of RAM and dual processors at your disposal. Video is pretty damn awesome both capturing it in 1080p or watching it.

5) Storage space: I added a 64GB MicroSD card and now combined with the SIII's built in storage I have around 75GB of storage for apps, music, files and ebooks! With this capacity I wont have to keep upgrading to a higher capacity storage phone like I did with the iPhones or constantly have to transfer or throw things away to make room for new files, etc. Makes life much easier.

6) Replaceable Battery: One of the things I noticed about my iPhones is after the first year or so their battery life would decrease dramatically and I had no way of fixing this short of shipping it off to Apple or buying a new phone. With the SIII I can simply buy a new battery which is great.

There are numerous other features about the SIII that I like but since this post is getting rather large and I don't want to run on any longer. I hope some of this helps you in making your decision.

Oh and on a final note, I have been using Apple computing devices in a professional capacity since before many visitors on this site were probably even born, getting my first 512K Fat Mac back in 1986 or so and owning just about every type of Mac since then up to the PowerMac G5 when Apple really abandoned us Pro users who do graphic and video intensive work. I finally had to switch over to the PC side after resisting for many years.

I do love my MacBook Air however, a truly beautiful and excellent piece of engineering!
 
Apple has nothing to worry about.

The S3 is cool but wouldn't take it over my 4S. Don't think people are going to be putting down their iPhones anytime soon unless the next Android phone doubles as a time machine.

I mean seriously. Look at the amount of people with iPhones. Look how many people will be buying the new one.
 
zbarvian said:
I am not tempted at all. Ugly design, worst excuse for software (TouchWiz is atrocious), and cheap build quality. I almost bought a One X, but Android personally has too many issues.

Specs do not make a device, the experience does. And I don't think any rabid Android fan could claim that an out-of-the-box GS3 can match an iPhone in terms of user friendliness, fluidity, elegance, and simplicity.
Click to expand...

Touchwiz is just a launcher.... Load up a stock rom if android or even easier use a free launcher. I obviously you've never used the s3
 
Mac.World said:
And then the 6 month wait for US carriers to screw it all up before "allowing" us to receive the update. I really wish AT&T, Verizon, etc would not be allowed to touch the OS and Samsung could do a worldwide OTA near simultaneously.
Click to expand...

I agree!

BoxerGT2.5 said:
Just picked up my S3 this morning. So far it's everything I expected. :)
Click to expand...

Awesome! Hope you like it!

highres said:
Hi NJ,

After using iPhones for years and owning EVERY version that has gone on the market I made the switch to the SIII and am VERY happy that I did. I had some initial concerns about porting all my data over but those were quickly addressed during setup at home, I was able to transfer my contacts, emails, docs, music and ebooks without any trouble.

My only loss were my iOS apps and some of my Apple DRM protected eBooks, but seeing as I only really used about a dozen of my apps regularly and the rest sat in folders gathering dust it wasn't much of a loss. Losing part of my iBooks library was much more painful and expensive but it taught me a valuable lesson. Now I purchase and download ePub books to my computer, organize and tag them in Calibre and then upload to SIII with none of that DRM rights crap restricting their use on my computer or phone.

1) Much larger screen: Makes a big difference for me, I was tired of trying to zoom into every area of a web page or only being able to fit a paragraph or two on the page when using iBooks (I have over 800 ePub books in my library). The SIII screen is awesome, when combined with full fledged browsers like Firefox, Chrome or Dolphin websurfing is a pleasure now and videos are actually watchable now on a smartphone with so much real estate to work with. I am a big guy (6'4") and have huge hands so the larger SIII actually fits much better in my hand and the weight is distributed better than the smaller, thicker iPhone 4S.

2) Swiftkey 3 Keyboard App for Android Ice Cream Sandwich: If you have to type up LOTS of emails on your smartphone then Swiftkey's predictive typing and keyboard options is hands down better than the iPhone. I have multiple IMAP email accounts and Swiftkey combined with Androids built-in Email app makes it a breeze and a truly enjoyable experience now to return client emails on the go.

3) Email: The built in Email app on the SIII is a big step up from the iPhone, I run multiple IMAP accounts using my own domain name and it handles all of them with no problem, and the ability to add attachments, download MS Office docs into Quick Office edit them and then re-attach and send with no fuss is GREAT, also the ability to attach files from any folder on my 64GB storage card is awesome.

4) Processor power and RAM: Even using the AT&T's SIII version I notice a HUGE difference in how fast windows refresh, apps work and tasks are handled. It really is pretty awesome to have 2GB of RAM and dual processors at your disposal. Video is pretty damn awesome both capturing it in 1080p or watching it.

5) Storage space: I added a 64GB MicroSD card and now combined with the SIII's built in storage I have around 75GB of storage for apps, music, files and ebooks! With this capacity I wont have to keep upgrading to a higher capacity storage phone like I did with the iPhones or constantly have to transfer or throw things away to make room for new files, etc. Makes life much easier.

6) Replaceable Battery: One of the things I noticed about my iPhones is after the first year or so their battery life would decrease dramatically and I had no way of fixing this short of shipping it off to Apple or buying a new phone. With the SIII I can simply buy a new battery which is great.

There are numerous other features about the SIII that I like but since this post is getting rather large and I don't want to run on any longer. I hope some of this helps you in making your decision.

Oh and on a final note, I have been using Apple computing devices in a professional capacity since before many visitors on this site were probably even born, getting my first 512K Fat Mac back in 1986 or so and owning just about every type of Mac since then up to the PowerMac G5 when Apple really abandoned us Pro users who do graphic and video intensive work. I finally had to switch over to the PC side after resisting for many years.

I do love my MacBook Air however, a truly beautiful and excellent piece of engineering!
Click to expand...

Nice write up, thanks!
 
Dontazemebro said:
Your Droid Pro is a 2 year old phone with dated specs. It's also just for a niche market, those who want a blackberry type android experience. Surely you don't think it's capable of running jelly Bean or ice cream sandwich.

The iphone 4s didn't even come out till a year later and notifications wasn't even an option for iOS when the droid pro was released. Be happy that you even have 2.3 on such an antiquated device.
Click to expand...


but if i still had a 3GS which is what it compares to then it would have iOS 5 on it and the cool detailed notifications
 
alent1234 said:
but if i still had a 3GS which is what it compares to then it would have iOS 5 on it and the cool detailed notifications
Click to expand...
except the 3GS runs like crap on iOS 5.... ask me how I know lol. Plus battery life dropped and it's can be so laggy and slow. Still have almost no wifi in iOS5 on that phone, Apple finally admitted there was an issue that affect certain phones apparently manufactured between certain dates, however they have no fix still almost a year later (plenty of complaints about this), so much for Apple service and support there lol. But yet if I downgrade back to iOS4 it works fine.

I'm not sure if you missed it though, but you do know you can adjust the notifications, lock, whatever.. to show the info you want right? Few of us have mentioned it, you have the option of tweaking it to your liking. Even a feed or widget so you can avoid the notification system all together.
 
Exio said:
Touchwiz is just a launcher.... Load up a stock rom if android or even easier use a free launcher. I obviously you've never used the s3
Click to expand...

Here's why Android users and iOS users are fundamentally different: I don't want to install a launcher or tamper with ROMs to like my phone, I want to like it and use it right out of the box. I've got better things to do than sit around trying to customize my phone all day.

And TouchWiz isn't just a skin, they themed the entire OS with their ugly cartoon icons and color palette.
 
alent1234 said:
but if i still had a 3GS which is what it compares to then it would have iOS 5 on it and the cool detailed notifications
Click to expand...

iOS 5 runs like crap even on the iphone 4. At least on android when a core feature like maps or Gmail or Google play receives an update, you can upgrade via market regardless of what os version your phone is currently on. So in essence all the functionalities are still there because the core goodies are not baked into your os like iOS where you need a full version upgrade just to enjoy similar features.
 
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Dontazemebro said:
iOS 5 runs like crap even on the iphone 4. At least on android when a core app like maps or Gmail or Google play receives an update, you can upgrade via market regardless of what os version your phone is currently on. So in essence all the functionalities are still there because the core goodies are not baked into your os like iOS where you need a full version upgrade just to enjoy similar features.
Click to expand...

Nonsense. iOS 5 ran smooth as silk on my iPhone 4.
 
highres,

Thank you for such a wonderful, detailed response.

Every day I have been sitting here wondering if this is the day I will visit the AT&T store and trade my iPhone 4 for the Galaxy S3.

I have spent hours reading user reviews across several different forums.

The thing that is keeping me rooted to my iPhone is the unknown announcement from Apple in about two weeks.

There has been more leakage about this new iPhone than any other Apple product I have ever seen. You would think that we know everything about the new iPhone.

...then again, there's always the chance that the leakage has been intentional and come September 12th, Apple is going to show us something that will knock our socks off.

I keep thinking of the FoxConn CEO who said that iPhone 5 "Will Put Galaxy SIII to Shame." Could have been false propaganda -or- perhaps a warning to Apple users not to jump ship just yet.

Come September 12th, if the new iPhone turns out to be everything we thought it would be, you can bet that I'll be buying a Galaxy S III.
 
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